We received an e-mail from a reader looking for advice on how to incorporate red shakes in the gable roof with the rest of his newly constructed garage. Thanks B. for your e-mail, here’s what I think you should do…
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Inspiration photo via: RemodelingCenter.com
Building a detached garage can be a very exciting home renovation project, as it can add additional storage space, and increase the value of your home. The process from start to finish is much like that of building a home, but on a smaller scale. Most of the same stages in construction occur during the project such as drawing up blueprints, applying for permits, gathering quotes, and finally physically constructing the building. A detached garage provides an excellent opportunity to experiment with colour and an assortment of building materials, since it is not attached to the existing home.
This inspiration picture really has the look of a mini house, as it mimics many of the same great architectural details used on houses on the exterior of the garage. Like the before shot that our reader has sent in, the garage in this photo has chosen red as an accent colour for the upper part of the garage. I think this a great use of colour, and in order to create a unified pallet, the red should be carried to the lower portion of the garage. Let’s start at the top of the garage and work our way down.
To soften the red shakes in the gable, try using a white bracket in the centre of the peak as shown above. Since the roof is a dutch-hip style, there would only be room for one bracket, but it will still give the desired effect. You can duplicate these brackets on either side of the garage man door with or without a pergola above. In my opinion the brackets would look just as good without the pergola since there are deep eaves around the building, and little headroom above the door.
Next, I would suggest using white shutters on either side of each window to break up some of the blue siding and introduce more white to create a more balanced colour pallet. I love the white planter boxes below the windows, so if you have a green thumb, they would be a charming addition, especially with some red flowers to coordinate with the other red accents.
Since the siding has already been completed, there is no option to incorporate red brick directly on to the building, so perhaps some red brick planter boxes, or something with a similar red-tone on either side to the overhead door opening would work instead.
I contemplated red for the garage overhead door, but I feel it would be too overwhelming. Instead, I think the overhead door should remain white, and the garage man door would be perfect painted red. This way all of the colours will have be evenly distributed across the whole building, creating a uniform and cohesive look.
Concrete countertops are becoming more and more popular these days. When I first heard about concrete countertops I thought, “hey! we could do that ourselves!”. But after looking into the process I’ve come to realise that the task should be reserved for those with prior experience in the art-like process.
Eager to meet a local professional concrete guru, I arranged some time with Kai from Fusion Concrete Design to talk about what he does and and how he does it.
Kai got into the whole concrete thing after picking up a book by concrete countertop pioneer Fu-Tung Cheng. Kai has a background in Fine Art and he figured that a career choice which combined both his artistic training and the trades wold be a good fit. He started off by creating a table, and from there he’s moved on to perfect his technique in order to offer his clients a unique and refined product.
I asked Kai about the “green” aspects of concrete and discovered that the countertops can be created “plastic free”. (As most of us know, traditional plastic laminate countertops actually contain formaldehyde – not very healthful for the environment or our bodies!) Once the concrete countertop is set in place, natural sealants such as bees wax can be used to prevent staining on the surface. However, these natural sealants will need to be reapplied frequently in order to remain effective. Kai recommends that a combination of epoxies and urethane be used as a penetrating protective layer if a maintenance free worktop is desired.
In regards to price-point, Kai says that concrete countertops start at about $60.00 a square foot. This is a bigger investment than traditional laminate but is a bargain compared to the price of granite or quartz tops. Plus, in my opinion, it’s a much better investment because it’s also a work of art. Each countertop is hand-formed and custom made.
Designs by: Kari Fisher
Photo Editing by: Andy Buschlen
We’re now offering the Virtual Renovations for sale. You may purchase a “Reno-Vision” package for your own home for an introductory rate of $199.00. Once you have the inspirational images, you can get to work on your house yourself, or hire a contactor. We know it’s important to be able to “see” what you can do before you actually start renovating. Please contact us if you’re interested.
For all previous Virtual Renovation features, click here.
I have been leaving little twitter/facebook updates regarding our attic loft. Many of you have asked me how this renovation is going. This tells me that you find inspiration in local renovation projects.
I was going to talk about cleaning grout (exciting! not…) but I decided that it would be much more interesting if Joe and I shared our renovation progress with you. I hope to share an update with you every Friday along with other DIY features. This of course will depend on how much we can accomplish while running two businesses, working full-time, going to school full-time, and cramming in family-time. Amazingly enough, we do get a lot done!
When we first looked at this house a year and a half ago, one of the biggest selling features for us was the vaulted attic. Although it only has a 6/12 pitch (meaning the peek is at 6ft.), we could see right away how it could be included as living space.
We contemplated taking off the existing roof and replacing it with a steeper pitch, but when the economy slumped we decided that concentrating on doing things to give the BIGGEST impact on the SMALLEST budget would be the smartest choice. Therefore, we decided to keep the 6/12 pitch.
We have had many ideas for this space and we’re still not totally sure what the “official” purpose of the space will be. I’m leaning towards making it a flexible space which can be used for different purposes depending on the needs of the current owner (see CMHC’s FlexHousing™ program). Right now, we’re leaning towards making it a “bijoux” master bedroom loft and converting the existing master bedroom (which is directly off the living room) into an office complete with built-ins.
I don’t have a before picture of what the attic looked like when we bought it, but I can show you what it looks like currently:
I have collected many photographs for inspiration over the last year. Here is my current favourite:
One of the biggest sources of my learning when it comes to making a small house livable has been a book called “Little House on a Small Planet“. I first heard about it on PeekMoment.tv (highly recommend checking this site out). In this book, author Shay Salomon takes readers on a journey through North America to visit and discuss small-home living.
Another great source of inspiration for sustainable based renovating is the Canadian Housing and Morgage Corporation’s website. I have spent countless hours on this website dreaming of the day when I can play a role in the Comox Valley concerning affordable housing. This website is well organized and I find it easy to get the information I need.
Today we’re going to continue working on the attic. Our “to-do” list includes finishing the taping and mudding, and sourcing out some flooring that will tie into the look of the rest of the house.
I’m looking forward to sharing our progress with you! Best of luck for any DIY projects you’re undertaking this weekend.
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Recipe Feature with Jackie Connelly
“I recently got the chance to photograph (and eat!) some fabulous Indian food from a very well known Chef, Vikram Vij, while sitting in the middle of a farm; I was in heaven! This is a recipe for his pakoras, and if you’re craving Indian these won’t disappoint.”
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